The Henrico Citizen turns 10 years old with this issue – a reality that amazes me for conflicting reasons.

Has it really been 10 years?

Has it only been 10 years?

Since Sept. 20, 2001, I’ve attended more than 100 Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission and School Board meetings, taken photos at dozens of youth baseball and softball games, high school football games, community festivals and fundraisers. I’ve covered more than 50 high school graduations, interviewed hundreds of people and designed (and proofread) more than 4,800 pages. I’ve met with hundreds of business owners, advertising agents and public relations officials, sold and designed hundreds of advertisements, uploaded thousands of articles and photos to our website and delivered tens of thousands of copies of the paper to distribution points throughout Henrico County.

I’ve attended and covered events in all but two or three of the 60-plus public school buildings in Henrico, every recreation facility, public park, government building and several playgrounds. I’ve covered two hurricanes, a 100-year flood, two earthquakes, a sniper spree, a handful of parades and a half-dozen NASCAR races. I’ve attended dedication ceremonies for new roads, new schools, new shopping malls and new neighborhoods. I’ve met and written about hundreds of people who amazed me, inspired me and became my friends.

I’ve traveled to virtually every corner of the county, committed to memory the names and paths of hundreds of roads and five magisterial districts. I can associate nearly every portion of the county with a person, event or article.

My e-mail inbox contains exactly 75,102 messages, and those are just the ones I’ve saved since July 27, 2006. I’ve read each one at some point.

I’ve written more than 700 articles, taken more than 20,000 photos and written more than 9,000 headlines.

In the course of a decade, some moments stand out.

The sad ones do. When Tropical Storm Gaston dropped a foot of rain on Central Virginia in 2004, I raced out of our office to take photos of a daring rescue attempt by firefighters in front of our building. A quiet stream had turned into a raging river, threatening to wash away a minivan with a woman inside. I snapped a dozen or so shots, then ran back inside to continue working on deadline. I didn’t witness the heartbreaking outcome: the rescue was impossible, and the woman was swept to her death moments later. For years, I couldn’t bring myself to develop the film. I wrote a column about the experience.

The happy moments stand out, too. I covered the return of military members from Afghanistan to Richmond International Airport, where hugs and smiles seemed to be all that mattered. Earlier this year, I watched as a high school gymnasium erupted with genuine joy and excitement as a special needs student hit a game-winning buzzer-beating basket during the All-Star basketball league for students with physical and mental disabilities. I wrote about that, too.

There have been heated moments. Someone is always upset at the outcome of a school redistricting case. Someone almost always argues passionately against the next development or land rezoning case that threatens to disturb an existing neighborhood. I’ve witnessed it time after time, and I can relate to those who object: my childhood neighborhood in Northern Virginia – our quiet, tree-covered section of town with several dozen modest homes – no longer exists. It was bulldozed entirely years ago to make way for hundreds of apartments. But today, as a businessman seeking the next key opportunity for my own company, I don’t fault those developers for chasing their own goals.

There have been inspirational moments. Earlier this year, we published our first annual Top Teachers issue and told the stories of 20 Henrico educators who make a daily difference in the lives of dozens of students. The input we received from readers, who described in great detail the impact each teacher had on their children and grandchildren, was touching. So too were the reactions of the teachers upon learning they’d been named to our list.

There have been moments of pure wonderment. I stumbled onto a story years ago about the efforts of several African-American educators who helped fund the Henrico education of one young girl from Prince Edward County more than 50 years ago, when her school district closed rather than integrate. Their efforts – and the difference they made in one woman’s life – will inspire me forever.

Days before our first issue was to roll off the presses, two planes sliced through the World Trade Center, another dove into the Pentagon and a fourth crashed in Pennsylvania, changing our nation forever. In the aftermath, I suddenly wondered whether anyone would care to read about a plans for a new road or details about a bond referendum. Would photos of a championship Little League team, coverage of local elections or features about community volunteers hold any value to readers?

I was 24 years old, had no formal business training and was about to start a free newspaper whose first issue had one advertiser. Was I crazy?

Perhaps.

But in retrospect, my fears were unjustified. I believe as strongly today as ever in the future of true community journalism. Ultimately, the things that matter most to most people are those they can see, touch, hear and feel. And those things happen right here – in their community.

Much has changed in 10 years. Nearly as many people now read this newspaper online, connect with us through Twitter and Facebook or read our e-mail newsletters as those who read us in print. A decade ago, the fax machine and scanner were critical components of our small newsroom. Today they are obsolete.

What all these numbers, recollections and thoughts amount to, I’m not exactly certain. But I’d like to believe that somewhere inside the web they’ve spun is part of the story of Henrico County during the past decade.

Those who read this are the reason we exist. You are the people who care about this county, who work and volunteer to make it a great place to live. You are the small business owners who risked all to pursue your dreams and provide for your families. You are the teachers who have invested hundreds of your own hours and dollars because you care what paths your students take in life. You are the police officers and firefighters who protect and serve your neighbors. You are the mothers, fathers and grandparents who take children to baseball practices, dance recitals and drama rehearsals and who cheer at high school football games and third-grade plays. You are the Boy Scout Troop leaders, the tutors and mentors.

You are the true Henrico citizens – and we are truly proud to have told your stories for the past 10 years. Today, we begin looking forward to the next 10.

RAMPS (Ramp Access Made Possible by Students) recently received an $8,000 grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. The award was one of 75 grants totaling more than $600,137 awarded by the Reeve Foundation to nonprofit organizations nationwide that provide more opportunities, access, and daily quality of life for individuals living with paralysis, their families and caregivers.

RAMPS, an organization founded by then-Henrico County high school students to build ramps for local low-income residents who need them, will use the grant to purchase modular wheelchair ramp supplies. These supplies will be used by local high school RAMPS clubs, who provide volunteers to build the ramps. > Read more.

Henrico resident Larry Loving, Jr., will compete with three other locals – Thomas Scribner (Richmond), Roscoe McGhee (Midlothian) and Larry Loving (Richmond) in the Liberty Mutual Insurance Invitational National Finals at TPC Sawgrass, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 26-Mar. 1. The foursome qualified for the national golf tournament by winning the Liberty Mutual Insurance Invitational, held at Whiskey Creek Golf Club in Ijamsville, Md. on June 11. That event supported the RiteCare Center for Childhood Language Disorders.

The Henrico Police Athletic League (PAL) held its Sixth Annual Awards Banquet Feb. 5 at The Cultural Arts Center of Glen Allen, celebrating accomplishments of 2014 and recognizing outstanding contributions to the organization. Henrico County Juvenile Domestic Court Judge Denis Soden served as master of ceremonies and former Harlem Globetrotter Melvin Adams served as keynote speaker.

Among the 2014 honorees were Richmond International Raceway (Significant Supporter), Richmond Strikers Soccer Club (Significant Supporter), Henrico County Schools-Pupil Transportation (Summer Camp Supporter), Bruce Richardson, Jr. (Youth of the Year), Sandra Williams (Volunteer of the Year), Thomas Williams (Employee of the Year), Mikki Pleasants (Board Member of the Year), and Michelle Sheehan (Police Officer of the Year). > Read more.

It was another win for Willow Lawn when Travinia Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar opened there six months ago, nestled in the heart of the re-made shopping center. The contemporary American Italian restaurant boasts 13 locations up and down the East Coast, with the Henrico location opening in August.

In the same week, I hit up Travinia twice, once for lunch and once for a late dinner. At lunchtime on a weekday, I was overwhelmed by the smell of garlic and by the number of working professionals in nice suits on their lunch breaks. When we first walked in, I was concerned our meal would be a little too pricey based on the décor – it’s a really nice place. Luckily, the menu has a variety of options for every budget. > Read more.

There’s a ton of sugar in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. Literal sugar, as SpongeBob Squarepants (Tom Kenny) and Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) inhale their own weight in cotton candy and eat ice cream, one scoop per mouthful.

At one point we burrow into the brain of our boxy yellow hero and discover the inner workings of his brain: googly-eyed cakes and candies that giggle and sing. All of which is extremely appropriate for a film like Sponge Out of Water. Because not only is the movie sweet (the “awwww” kind of sweet), but it’s the equivalent of a 30-candy bar sugar rush, zipping between ideas like a sponge on rocket skates.

The story under all this is really not that complicated. SpongeBob flips burgers at the Krusty Krab. > Read more.

With this last round of snow still fresh on the ground, the best way to start the weekend may be at Southern Season for their weekly wine-tasting program, Fridays Uncorked. Families with cabin fever will enjoy the Richmond Kids Expo, taking place tomorrow at the Richmond Raceway Complex. Some date night options include the Rock & Roll Jubilee at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, HATTheatre’s production of “The Whale” and National Theatre Live’s “Treasure Island” at the University of Richmond. For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.